Properties of a Bose-Einstein condensate in an anisotropic harmonic potential

Abstract

We present results on the size, density, chemical potential, and lifetime of a Bose-Einstein condensate as a function of the number of condensate atoms for parameters appropriate to the time-averaged orbiting potential trap in which a Bose condensate of $^{87}\mathrm{Rb}$ atoms was recently formed [M. H. Anderson et al., Science 269, 198 (1995)]. These results were obtained by solving the time-independent nonlinear Schr\"odinger equation with anisotropic harmonic trapping potential. We also find vortex solutions for the trap and the critical rotation frequency required for their formation.